117 

 A DAY'S EAMBLE ON THE COAST OF DEVON. 



BY R. A, JULIAN, ESQ., JUN. 



On July 4th., 1852, accompanied by a friend, I started from Plymouth at 

 seven, A. M., and proceeded to Newton-Ferrers, a small village near the 

 mouth of the River Yealm, in order to procure a boat, and search for specimens 

 along the sea-coast. On our road as we passed through Brixton, we observed 

 the sides of a cottage chimney completely covered with the Common Polypody 

 Fern, (Polypodium vulgare,) which we thought a rather peculiar habitat for 

 it. On the walls both here and at Yealmpton, was an abundance of Ctterach 

 officinarum, very luxuriant, attaining a larger size when growing on walls built 

 ■without mortar, some of the fronds measuring nine inches in length. The 

 Asplenium Tricho manes and Asplenium Mtda muraria, were flourishing aroun 

 it. As we ascended Puslinch hill the steep banks on each side of us were 

 clothed with Scolopendrium vulgare, exhibiting occasionally singular forms by 

 the repeated branchings of its fronds. Pteris aqidlina was of [a large size, 

 and Athyrium Filix foemina, Athyrium molle, and Athyrium convexum, were 

 to be seen at the same glance, the latter generally preferring the moister 

 spots. Aspidium angulare and Aspidium Filix mas were not overlooked. 



We shortly gained our boat and rowed down the River Yealm to its mouth, 

 where in some steep cliffs hundreds of the Herring and Lesser Black-backed 

 Gulls were breeding, their young peeping out of the crevices in the rocks 

 about half-fledged. These are the only two species of Gulls I have ever found 

 .breeding on our coast. With regard to the Kittiwake (Larus tridactylus ,) 

 and the Winter Gull, {^Larws canas,) there seems still to exist some doubt 

 whether they breed on the south coast of England: would it not be desirable 

 for some Ornithologist residing there to give us the result of his experience 

 on this subject? Other feathered inhabitants of these precipices were Kestrels, 

 Jackdaws, and a few Ravens, and the House Martins were assiduous in their 

 attentions to their young; the nests of the latter birds being studded thick as 

 possible on the roofs of all the caves. 



The Eock Pipit, (Anthus petrosus,) here plentiful, would occasionally ascend 

 into the air whilst singing, similarly to those nearly allied species the Tree 

 and Meadow Pipits. A Peregrine Falcon, a noble old fellow, here passed us, 

 causing such dismay among the feathered creation that it reminded us of the 

 old saying ''The devil take the hindmost." There is every year a nest or 

 two of this beautiful bird on some inaccessible ledge in these precipices. 



On an isolated rock the Tree Mallow, {Lavatera rarhoea,) grew in a dense 

 mass, and between four and five feet in height; and opposite us the Fern, 

 {Asplenium marinum,) occupied the smaller fissures, especially where there was 

 dripping water. After having remained about two hours here, we crossed the 

 estuary, and strolled along the margin of some less stupendous precipices; the 

 notes of the Cuckoo issued from a neighbouring one, and presently out it 

 came, closely pursued by numerous Pipits. The Cuckoo frequents these cliffs. 



